News & Media

Jonathan Leader Maynard comments on attacks in Syria

Friday 7th April 2017

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Jonathan Leader Maynard has recently appeared on BBC Radio Oxford to discuss the situation in Syria.

Jonathan was interviewed on Tuesday 4 April on chemical attacks on Idlib, and commented "Compared to the past few months, it indicates an escalation, and an escalation at a time when the Syrian Government's position is strengthening". The full interview from Tuesday 4 April is available on the BBC website (Jonathan features from 1 hour 30 minutes in).

On Friday 7 April, Jonathan again appeared on Radio Oxford, to discuss the US airstrikes on Syria.

Jonathan commented that "As a change of attitude towards the Assad Government, it is obviously a major shift" but suggested that "the idea that this is going to massively transform the situation on the ground, or protect civilians is mistaken... even if this is an effort to deter the use of chemical weapons on the part of the Assad government, it is not as though chemical weapons are the only ways of targetting civilians."

He concluded that "Individually this isn't going to do anything productive. It is all about what broader strategy the action is embedded in".